The Quirkless
by Microcrane
Summary: [[ may be extended ]] Wakabayashi Genzo takes the U.A. Entrance Exam.


**idk what i'm doing so have another shitty concept one-shot**

* * *

Ever since he was little, Izuku Midoriya knew the name "Genzo Wakabayashi." He was known as a prodigy, especially throughout mainland Japan, beginning his "heroic career" at seven years old, saving eight people from a stick up. By then, he had not manifested a Quirk, and it became an almost perverse fascination of social media. He was a miracle child, he was "the Quirkless Wonder" - his luck was impeccable, as were his combat skills. By the time he was twelve, he was a celebrity, never having suffered a defeat. He was truly the pinnacle of the Quirkless population.

Wakabayashi was also Izuku's second idol.

Well, quite frankly, Wakabayashi was the idol of any Quirkless child. He is famous among teens and young adults alike, as well as Heroes looking for future Sidekicks. And naturally, Izuku was wondering if he would get to meet him at any point.

But he didn't think he would see him in person for the first time in these circumstances - that is, he didn't think the first time he ever saw the Genzo Wakabayashi would be when the taller teen was defending him and frowning upon the actions of Izuku's childhood friend.

"There's no need to bump into him intentionally and then tell him to get out of your way. It's pointless, and a waste of energy for everyone involved."

"Huh?! Who the fuck are you to tell me what to do?!"

"No one in particular, but I'm just giving you a reminder. If you're aiming to be a Hero, you should at least know that much."

"Fucking arrogant know-it-all Quirkless bastard, shove off."

The tall black-haired boy watches Katsuki stomp off with a calm expression before turning to Izuku, who is shaking like a leaf and stammering wildly.

"Are you alright? People like him aren't uncommon, but they're far from pleasant."

Wakabayashi has a much more handsome face in person, fairly tall for their age with green-brown eyes and a red Adidas baseball cap. His shoulders are broad, frame clearly well built with a strong and steady posture. The young man's gloved hand is on Izuku's shoulder, gentle, almost feeling reassuring - and it would be, if not for the current circumstances.

"G-Genzo Wakabayashi!" Izuku squeaks before bowing a perfect ninety degrees. "I'm fine, t-thank you very much!"

"Hey, hey." Wakabayashi laughs awkwardly, rubbing the nape of his neck as his hand slips from the green-haired boy's shoulder. "No need to be so formal, loosen up! I'm not a police officer or something."

The Quirkless boy is much more friendly and good-natured than Izuku had anticipated - he was expecting someone a bit more self-absorbed and egoistic, given how popular Wakabayashi is.

"S-Sorry, I just, uh, didn't think I'd...meet you in a place like this..." He murmurs, almost too softly for Wakabayashi to hear. The taller boy just chuckles.

"Is it that surprising? Anyone in Japan who wants to be a Hero applies for this school."

"O-Oh, that's true..." Izuku curses himself for stammering so much in front of _the_ Genzo Wakabayashi.

"Do you want to go to the lecture hall together? You look like you could pass out any second, I don't want you to faint and potentially hurt yourself." Wakabayashi offers.

"I couldn't possibly - !"

"If you think you're imposing, you're not." The taller boy cuts him off with an amused smile. "Really, unless you don't want me to, I'd like to make sure you get there alright. You look on the verge of a panic attack."

"Sorry!" Izuku squeaks before taking a few deep breaths. He calms after a few moments, looking sheepish and apologetic. "Sorry, Wakabayashi-senpai. I'm just really worried about how this will go."

"Senpai? Aren't I younger than...? Well, it doesn't really matter. Call me whatever you want." The ravenette waves Izuku's choice of honorific off easily, silently asking the shorter boy to walk with him. He complies. "That's understandable. I'm pretty nervous as well."

Izuku blinks at Wakabayashi as he laughs.

"You don't look it, senpai."

"Well, I am." The tall male hums calmly. "My heart's beating pretty hard in my chest, actually. But someone like me can't panic in a place like this. No one wants to be ridiculed for being a boneless, Quirkless coward."

The green-haired boy studies the taller's slightly sad/bitter smile.

"I've got a lot of expectations on me, being an unfortunately well-known Quirkless kid aiming to be a Hero and all that. I'm known by a good many people, even if I sometimes wish I wasn't. I'm only here to save lives and help as many as I can."

The sudden light in his eyes, the happiness and determination flashing across Wakabayashi's face makes Izuku's heart stop, for some reason thinking of his main idol and how much the taller boy sounded like him just now.

"Wakabayashi-senpai, do you...happen to look up to All Might?" He asks slowly as they turn a corner before pausing in a line to get into the lecture hall.

"Of course I do. Who doesn't?"

"I-I mean - is - is he your idol?"

This makes the Quirkless boy frown in thought.

"My idol...?"

Izuku nods nervously, eager for a response.

"He's one of them, but the one I look up to most is...well, he's currently a student in U.A. so I'm not sure if I could call him an idol."

"You know people who attend U.A.?" He looks surprised, so Wakabayashi explains:

"I met him when I was in Tokyo two years ago. He was applying for the U.A. Entrance Exam and I met him on the train. He saved my life - I would have died that day if not for him. We talked a bit more after that, about All Might, and I guess we became friends somehow. I hope I can see him in person again if I'm accepted."

Izuku falls silent, and Wakabayashi follows suit. The air is a little awkward, but the taller boy's relaxed nature helps egg away at it a bit. But he feels dread settle when he sees Katsuki sitting there, glaring daggers at the black-haired boy who simply blinks in surprise before greeting the blond politely.

"Hello. I didn't think I'd be seeing you again so soon."

"Fuck off, Quirkless shit."

"Kacchan, don't call him - !" The green-haired teen is cut off when Wakabayashi places a gentle hand on his shoulder with a calming smile on his face.

"Don't worry about it, it's nothing I haven't heard before."

It takes a moment before Izuku suddenly remembers who he's talking to. Wakabayashi isn't just a strong presence in social media, he is also just a boy. A boy who without a doubt has faced prejudice, hatred, and contempt simply because he couldn't help the way he was born. He is like Izuku, he suffered through all the same things, but unlike Izuku, he kept striving forward, making the most of his situation and helping others even if he was at an automatic disadvantage against any Villain or street punk. Like Izuku, Wakabayashi was born with a pure determination to be a Hero, to be someone others could use as a pillar of support, rely on, and feel safe with. But unlike Izuku, he was able to start it off at a very early age because he went against all those harsh words and bias rather than letting it exist and antagonize him.

Wakabayashi is one of Izuku's idols for a reason. He is strong, both mentally and physically, pushing his limits the furthest he could to do whatever was possible despite being born Quirkless. Without a doubt, Wakabayashi could be easily beaten by others their age with particularly powerful Quirks, but it was his head-strong and persistent nature that served as a boost of psychological confidence and inspiration in others. He worked hard to get to where he is now, standing before Izuku with such a soothing and comfortable air about him. He worked hard to become the Quirkless Wonder, to wake up the next morning and tell himself that he was on his way to really becoming something.

"What's your name?" The Quirkless teen asks Katsuki, who scoffs before smirking cockily and pointing at himself with an air of overflowing confidence.

"Katsuki Bakugo, and you better remember it, side-character!"

"Well, I tend to remember the names of people I've met, Bakugo-san. And come to think of it, I never got your name." Wakabayashi turns to the green-haired boy, who fidgets awkwardly.

"I-Izuku Midoriya, nice to meet you senpai!"

"Hey, I told you to loosen up." Wakabayashi snorts, amused before he sits down. "I was hoping I'd see a friend of mine here, but then again I believe he was applying to Shutetsu."

"Ah! It's Present Mic!" Izuku shouts, pointing at the stage. Katsuki scoffs at his enthusiasm while the Quirkless teen follows the shortest one's finger. He hums.

"I'm ready to plug my ears."

Perhaps it shouldn't have been surprising after the instructions from Present Mic that each of them were testing in different areas.

"Good luck, Midoriya-san." Wakabayashi offers a reassuring smile. "I'm sure you'll be fine, call it a gut feeling."

"Yeah, you too!" Izuku beams, waving before watching his idol run off to make sure he got to his area in time. He offhandedly wonders how the taller boy will do.

* * *

This is easier than he'd thought it would be.

Wakabayashi pulls another test taker out of the way just in time, placing the boy down before jumping an impressive height and landing on the robot's head. With a strength that should not have been possible for any ordinary teenager, he slammed his foot into where he assumed was the main control center of its body. It crumpled under the force of his kick, toppling over to the side and blowing him away slightly with an explosion. But Wakabayashi just lands on his hands, making sure to flip himself onto his feet before running over to the teen he had just saved and crouched down, pretending his ankle and leg weren't injured earlier in the Practical Exam, ignoring the stinging.

"Are you alright?"

"T-Thanks, er...you're Wakabayashi-san, aren't you?"

"That's not important right now - your ankle looks like it's twisted, sit still." The brunette looks around for anything stiff before clicking his tongue, settling on pulling off his shirt and ripping part of it into a thin strip, using it to brace the boy's foot. "There. Can you stand?"

"I - I think so..." The blond winces as he sits up, managing to get up on his own. "Thank you."

"Sure. Do you need help getting somewhere safer, or do you think you're alright?"

"I still need to get points, so I'll stay." The blond offers a small grin. "But thanks for your help. I'm Ojiro Mashirao, I hope we're both accepted."

"Me too, nice to meet you, Ojiro-san." Wakabayashi's lips curl into a lopsided smile before nodding, turning around and taking off. He's taken down seven robots so far - two three-pointers, three two-pointers and two one-pointers, if he recalls correctly. He's almost out of time because he's saved about fourteen or fifteen other test takers rather than taken out more robots, and he's sure fourteen points isn't enough to get in. There's a sense of dread overcoming him, but Wakabayashi's priority is the greater sense of dread when a huge shadow looms over the fake city. He stares up as a colossal machine towers over him, destroying buildings as it grows closer and closer to where most of the test takers are.

What the _fuck_ is that?!

There are screams and alarmed shouts ringing through the air, and within reason. Wakabayashi's legs don't want to move. He's scared, but who _wouldn't_ be when they saw something like that? But then he hears something.

"Somebody help! He can't move! He's stuck!"

His eyes snap to the source, barely even registering what or who it is he's looking at before he's running to it, before he's running toward the zero-pointer. Others are calling out to him, calling him insane, urging him to flee, but his mind is on overdrive. He can't let someone die in a place like this, he can't let two people just like him die in a stupid exam. Wakabayashi finally reaches the voice, finding himself kneeling next to a girl with straight-cut black hair and headphone jack earlobes and a boy with no nose and a strange mouth. But that's not his main concern.

"Get back!" He orders the black-haired girl, who stumbles back, worried and panicking more every time she sees how much closer that huge machine has gotten. The boy trapped under the one-pointer is panicking more, a bunch of dead ants and insects around him as tears stream down his face. But Wakabayashi smiles warmly, calmly. "I'm getting you out of there, don't worry. Just calm down, and everything will be fine. Alright?"

The boy stares at him, in shock, before nodding vigorously. He just starts crying more. Wakabayashi sighs light-heartedy.

"Take slow and deep breaths. I'm going to pull this machine off of you, and I need you to get out of there when you feel it's safe to do so, alright?"

He nods slower this time, and Wakabayashi's smile widens as he stands.

"Alright. Here we - _go - !_" He grunts when he gets a good leverage on the hunk of metal. Wakabayashi clenches his jaw, and much to the girl's surprise, the robot starts lifting into the air, albeit slowly. His face is growing more and more red as inch by inch, it grows further and further from the ground. The boy's mouth is gaping in shock, seeing this other teen who doesn't seem to be using any Quirk at all, lifting something this heavy with his bare hands. He tries to get out, but his leg is stuck. He panics, squirming, but stops when he hears Wakabayashi gasp sharply in pain. Blood begins to drip onto the floor, Wakabayashi having rested some of the robot on his leg, that injury on his thigh and cut in his calf beginning to bleed profusely. The gashes that he didn't even know were on his arms open up as well, grunting as sweat builds up on his brow.

Why? The girl can only sit there in shock as she watches, trembling too much to bring herself to get up and help him. Why is he trying so hard for this boy he's never met before?

He lifts it just high enough to slip under it and begin pushing up with his back, hands rested on the base of the metal, his feet pressing hard against the ground as more blood splattered onto the ground. He didn't even have that many injuries, why was he bleeding so much? He didn't understand, but he shouldn't be thinking so much.

_Save him._

_Save him._

_Save him._

"UUOOOOOHHHH!" Wakabayashi lets out an ear-splitting battlecry, finally lifting it high enough. The boy scrambles out as fast as he can before standing and trying to help support it. But he's not as strong as Wakabayashi is - the brunette falls to his knees, almost getting crushed under the weight of the broken robot. The girl screams, finally coming to her senses, horror filling her. He could die - _he could die - !_

"Why are you two still here?" The Quirkless boy wheezes, smile strained and yet so warm. "Get going, before the zero-pointer kills all of us."

"We can't just leave you - !"

"I chose to be under this thing." Wakabayashi cuts them off, voice growing quieter, eyelids drooping. "Now run before my efforts are in vain."

They are reluctant, but they understand what he is saying and what he wants. So they glance at each other, promising to come back as soon as they can with a doctor before they're running off. Wakabayashi is left all alone, bleeding out and under that piece of metal. But of course, before he can even think a moment longer, there is someone else in front of him, launching that hunk of useless metal off the half-dead teen and catching him before he falls face-first into the ground. The world feels dizzy, as if it's spinning, unable to think properly as he slowly realizes he is in someone's arms. He tries to speak, but winces when his body scolds him for trying to move after over-exhausting it so much.

"Calm down, kiddo. They're safe. The Exam's over."

It's a deep male voice. Wakabayashi doesn't have the strength to speak loudly, so his words come out in a weak whisper as a small smile graces his lips.

"So they're okay..."

And he passes out.


End file.
